Wednesday, December 4, 2013

2012 Mercedes-Benz Ener-G-Force Concept

The Mercedes-Benz G-Class or G-Wagen (as it was called from 1979 to 1993), short for Geländewagen (or cross-country vehicle), is a four-wheel drive vehicle / sport utility vehicle (SUV) produced by Steyr-Puch (now Magna Steyr) in Austria for German automaker Mercedes-Benz. It uses three fully locking differentials, one of the few vehicles to have such a feature. the G-Class is still in production and is the longest produced Mercedes-Benz in Daimler's history, with a span of over 30 years. (wikipedia)

The Mercedes Ener-G-Force concept began life as a sketch entered in the Los Angeles Design Challenge 2012’s “Highway Patrol Vehicle 2025” competition. the concept sports an electric drivetrain fed by a “hydro-tech convertor” system. That futuristic setup separates the hydrogen from water stored in tanks on the roof, and converts it into electricity for the four individual in-wheel motors. The hydrogen fuel can be stored in the vehicle’s modular side skirts, which can be swapped for battery packs. Mercedes says the Ener-G-Force concept’s hydrogen system nets a 500-mile range. Because it’s intended to be a successor to the venerable G-Wagen, the Ener-G-Force concept also boasts (hypothetical) off-road capability. A roof-mounted topographical scanner called “Terra-Scan” maps the terrain and automatically adjusts the vehicle’s damping and spring rates for optimal performance. The G-shaped LED headlamps, matte-silver finish, and ultra-wide tires help the concept stand out. (motortrend.com)


































 (L) Ener-G-Force SUV Concept                                 (R) G-Class SUV

(Photos from autoblog.com, motortrend.com & autowp.ru)